1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to fishing reels of the type having a mechanism, normally a movable thumb button, for selectively placing the reel in a cast mode and, more particularly, to a mechanism for selectively preventing the reel from latching in the cast mode, thereby obviating the user's having to operate a crank handle, or the like, to place the reel in the retrieve mode after the thumb button is released.
2. Background Art
Conventional bait cast fishing reels employ a rotatable, line-carrying spool which is operated through a crank handle. To effect a cast, a thumb button is depressed, which disengages the spool from the crank handle and allows the spool to freely rotate in a direction to allow line to pay out of the spool. In such conventional structures, full depression of the thumb button causes the reel to become latched in the cast mode. At the completion of the cast, the user operates the crank handle which results in the reel changing from the cast mode back to the retrieve mode.
The above-described conventional bait cast reel has a serious drawback. It requires that the user take the rod and reel in one hand, depress the thumb button with that hand, and effect a cast, after which the user switches the rod and reel to the opposite hand and effects rotation of the crank handle with the casting hand to arrest payout of line. Not only is this inconvenient, but there is a significant interval between the time that the cast is completed and the spool payout can be arrested. In shallow waters, this time lag may be sufficient for the bait to sink and become snagged.